Tamper evident plastic food container

Abstract

A tamper evident container includes a base with a base rim adjoining a base hinge panel and a lid with a lid rim adjoining a lid hinge panel. A hinge connects the panels. A frangible line extends from an edge of the lid hinge panel to a first point on the panel and then outwardly to the hinge. The frangible line crosses the hinge and extends inwardly to a second point on the base hinge panel. From the second point the frangible line extends to an edge of the base hinge panel. When the container is initially sealed, the frangible line separates upon the application of an upwardly directed force to a first portion of the lid hinge panel while a second portion of the lid hinge panel is held in a fixed position or moved downwardly. The separation of the frangible line creates two grasping portions that can be used to pull the lid from the base.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]Not applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicable.SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE OR COMPUTER PROGRAM ON COMPACT DISC[0003]Not applicable.FIELD OF INVENTION[0004]This invention relates generally to plastic food containers. The invention is more specifically related to re-closable plastic food containers having tamper evident sealing mechanisms.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]It is known to use plastic containers in the food preparation and restaurant industry to package prepared foods. The typical food container of the prior art consists of a clear or solid colored base and a clear lid. In order to maintain the quality of food contents and prevent tampering with the contents of a sealed container, it is desirable that the food container, once initially sealed, not be capable of being initially opened without visible indication of the container having been opened. To achieve this feature, container ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a food container that is easy to use, tamper resistant, and has a simple appearance. It does not have any visibly extraneous or extra structure to serve as a grasping portion. The container has a hinge area that is constructed in a simple and clean way, and it does not give any indication of it having a tamper-evident character. This eliminates the obvious added tabs, complicated hinge area structures, and a large vertical span at the hinge end. Overall, this invention meets the needs in the art and provides an aesthetically appealing food container.

Problems solved by technology

One problem with all of the foregoing designs is that a significant amount of additional material beyond a simple hinge structure is required to construct a reliably performing frangible hinge section that can be used to initially open the sealed container.

In addition, many of the hinge structures or their frangible mechanisms are made using a complex arrangement of material folds and cutouts that are manufacturable only with complex tooling or forming machinery.

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